Reading has two Vodafone retail outlets. One is not so helpful (without mentioning specific stores) and one is very helpful. This of course boils down to the mentality of the staff and perhaps more importantly the motivation given by the store manager.
Anyhow needless to say I made my prepay phone purchase from the more helpful store. They were even prepared to grab a working phone from the store room to look up a specific function in the manual and demonstrate it to me. The atmosphere is relaxed with no hard sell tones and is nice to browse without a sales person behind your back.
Unknown to me, was the store offers a 30 day money back guarantee and a 14 day price match. However the general pricing level of phones tends to be the RRP and you may well find you may have to excercise the price match function! In my case I couldn't as the WAP phone I purchased was fairly new and no one else really stocked it, so they were the cheapest.
Topping up prepay vouchers is easy, just give them your phone number and payment method, cash, cheque, plastic and the top up amount is credited to your phone within 10 minutes.
The top up can also be executed using the mobile phone itself by ringing the credit line and paying by credit card. However paying this way, to my dismay you cannot get a receipt or a VAT receipt. Having phoned the helpline several times and consulting my accountant (who believes that a request for a VAT receipt is a legal requirement)...Vodafone simply refuse or cannot issue one for over the phone payments! Their excuse is the payment is automated and it doesn't issue receipts. Hmmm surely they can automate a receipt? They say the record appears on my credit card statement, but that doesn't break down the VAT and where's the VAT number? The concluding statment from them is not to top up from the mobile phone but to visit a retail outlet if I want a receipt. A poor excuse I think.
Coming back to the store, the range of phones, display, arrangement is all you would expect from a mobile phone shop, and you can pick up the phones and play around with them as they are on 'string' unlike carphone warehouse where they are bolted down with a 'stud' through the centre of the phone!
The supporting literature detailing the range of phones from Vodafone, the functions, the tariffs etc is clear, well designed, and printed on quality, thick paper. The Carphonewarehouse giveaway in comparison is printed on thinner 'disposible' paper.
If you know you want a Vodafone, or you have a Vodafone a visit to the store will enable you to see the whole Vodafone range and the accessories, which may not be available elsewhere. Also if there is a Vodafone offer, you will know about it here e.g. 3 months free line rental.
But if you are undecided about networks or are looking for a cut price deal, you would be better looking elsewhere first where they deal with all 4 networks. ....but it is useful to pick up their giveaway brochure for comparison.
24.01.2005 02:20
nice review, we have one vodaphone shop where I live and it is normally empty when I go by...
20.03.2001 14:51
We only have the one Vodafone shop in Newbury and it must be occupied by the same people that Keith (Flashpointz) met as his store !! Needless to say I don't go there now and I top up via creditline and reclaim my cost on monthly expenses. From a book-keepers point of view I would expect a receipt but since I'm not VAT registered and I top up every5-6 months ! I don't think the Customs & Excise are going to worry about me ! Great op and as you say depends on the store. HB
19.03.2001 15:47
another informative telecoms/mobile phones opinion-I have not visited Vodaphone stores (loyal to Orange!!) (off-topic: BTW I've seen you write at mouthshut.com, did you get spammed too? if so there is a support e-mail add. or did you join up in Nov...some of the writers arent too bad..again a very different market over there..quite interesting...hope youre not submitting durex op's there..I decided to read this op. as I ve read too many durex ones at ciao recently:), regards